Keely Hodgkinson

Sports Career of Keely Hodgkinson | Keely Hodgkinson Biography

Keely Hodgkinson is arguably the top active 800-meter runner in the world, having won the Olympic Gold medal in 2024 and finishing with the second-fastest time in the world in 2025.

At the time of writing, she holds the sixth fastest time in history and the fastest time since Caster Semenya’s controversial run in 2018.

Hodgkinson has been competing in athletics since she was a child, with her first results on her World Athletics page dating back to when she was 12.

Her first international competition was in 2018, when she ran 2:04.84 at the European U18 Championships, winning the competition and launching her on a trajectory as one of the world’s best young runners.

The next year, in 2019, she continued to have success at the international level, running at the European U20 Championships in Sweden and finishing third with a time of 2:03.40 despite still only being 17.

She continued to progress through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, running 2:01.16 indoors and 2:01.73 outdoors.

International Breakout

The 2021 season started well for Hodgkinson when she ran a new personal best of 1:59.03 short track in Vienna. She then went on to win the European Indoor Championships to cap her indoor season.

She opened the outdoor season with another personal best, running 1:58.89 at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic and once again running under 2:00 to win the British Championships.

Her next personal best came at the Bauhaus-Galan Diamond League meet when she ran 1:57.51.

Hodgkinson rode this momentum into the Olympics, running under 2:00 minutes yet again to win her semi-final heat and to qualify for the final. Here, she would run another personal best, posting 1:55.88, only behind Athing Mu. The time broke Kelly Holmes’ British record.

Hodgkinson capped off her 2021 season by winning the Diamond League Final in Zurich.

Keely Hodgkinson 2024 Olympic Cycle

Hodgkin’s opened her 2022 season running the 400-meter before moving back up to her usual event, the 800-meter. She posted a series of impressive times through the beginning of the season, winning Diamond League meetings in Birmingham, Eugene, and Oslo.

She came close to beating Mu in 2022 at the World Championships, but lost out by 0.08 seconds and once again had to settle for second.

She then went on to end her season with a second-place finish at the Commonwealth Games and victory at the European Championships.

Hodgkinson ran well through the 2023 season. However, her quest for her first World Championship in 2023 was thwarted by the Kenyan Mary Moraa, and she once again finished second. In her last meet of the year, the Prefontaine Classic, she ran a new personal best of 1:55.19.

Having finished second at a major championship three years in a row, 2024 was Hodgkinson’s year to make it to the top of the podium.

On July 20, at the London Athletics Meet, she ran a new personal best of 1:54.61 to better her own British record on home soil.

At the Olympics, she won her three races in the heats, semi-final, and final. Her time in the final of 1:56.72 edged out Tsige Duguma and Mary Moraa. 

Hodgkinson was injured throughout most of the 2025 season but opened her season with a world-leading 1:54.74 at the Silesia Diamond League meet. She ended her season by finishing third at the World Championships in Tokyo, in only her third race of the year.

Keely Hodgkinson Athlete Personal Life and Other Facts | Hodgkinson Keely

Hodgkinson joined the track club Leigh Harriers at the age of nine and continues to train with them.

She is almost completely deaf in her left ear due to having a benign tumor removed when she was 13.

Hodgkinson attended Loughborough College for one year in Leicestershire. She completed the first year of a criminology degree at Leeds Beckett University before pursuing athletics full-time.

In 2025, her name was used to market the “Keely Klassic” indoor track meet in Birmingham that featured a mix of high-level domestic and international athletes. It was billed as the site of an 800-meter indoor world record attempt. Unfortunately, Hodgkinson had a hamstring injury and wasn’t able to run in the competition.

FAQs | Keely Hodgkinson 800m

What is Keely Hodgkinson’s Height?

Keely Hodgkinson is about 170 centimeters, or about 5’7”.

What is Keely Hodgkinson’s best 800m Time?

Keely Hodgkinson’s best time in the 800-meter is 1:54.74 seconds. This ranks her sixth all-time.

How Old is Keely Hodgkinson? Keely Hodgkinson Age

Keely Hodgkinson was born on March 3, 2002, making her 23 at the time of writing.

Where is Keely Hodgkinson From?

Keely Hodgkinson is from a small town in Northern England called Atherton, near Manchester.